Mustache-guard for spoons



(No Model) 0. A. QUENTELL.

MUSTAOHE GUARD FORSPOONS. No. 518,116. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

Mrn ey U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. QUENTELL, on NEW oRLEANs, LOUISIANA.

IVIUSTACHE-GQ ARD FOR SPOONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,116, dated April10, 1894.

Application filed January 9,1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. QUENTELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State 5 ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMustache-Guards for Spoons; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of spoons which areprovided with mustache guards or kindred devices; and it has for itsgeneral object to provide such a spoon embodying means whereby the guardwill be automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soupor the like so as to effectually prevent any of the soup from gettingupon the guard, and in turn upon the mustache of the user when the spoonis raised to the lips.

With the foregoing end in view, the invention willbefully understoodfrom the following description and claims when taken in conjunction withthe annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of myimproved spoon with the guard in its normal closed position. Fig. 2, isa similar view illustrating the guard in the position it is caused toassume when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup; and Fig. 3, is anenlarged, detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by thedotted line at, w, of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to said drawings -A, indicates a spoon, which, ingeneral, may be of the ordinaryform and construction having a bowl as a,and a handle as b; and B, indicates the mustache guard which may form 40a permanent part of the spoon or may be detachably connected to ormounted upon the same as desired. This guard B, may be andpreferablyisformed fromasingle piece of material in the form orapproximate form illustrated, and it is permanently or detachablyconnected with the spoon in such a manner as will admit of its beingautomatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup or thelike, as will be presently described.

I prefer in practice to detachably connect the guard B, with the spoonin a hinged or pivotal manner, in order to permit of its Serial No,496,240. (N 0 model.)

7 ready removal for cleansing, and in the present embodiment of myinvention, I efliect such connection with the handle b, of the spoonthrough the medium of the resilient branches 0, upon the rear or, innerend of the guard, which branches 0, are provided with globular heads asd, which are journaled in opposite sides of the handle at a pointadjacent to the bowl, so as to permit of the guard being raised from thebowl, as illustrated. I do not however desire to be understood asconfining myself to this or any other manner of connecting the guardwith the spoon, since itis only necessary to connect the guard in such amanner as will admit of its being automatically raised when the spoon isdipped in a plate of soup or the like.

0, indicates the pendant or plate contact piece through the medium ofwhich the guard B, is automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in aplate. This pendant or piece C, may be and preferably is fixedlyconnected to or formed integral with the guard atapoint adjacent to thefree end thereof; and it normally depends below the bowl of the spoon,about the proportional distance illustrated, and is preferably providedat its lower end with a knob or button as (1, whereby it will beperceived that when the spoon is dipped in a plate, the piece 0, willengage the bottom thereof and will raise and hold the guard clear of thesoup so as to prevent any of the same from getting on the guard. It willalso be perceived that when the spoon is removed M guard B, as justdescribed, I would not have it understood that it is absolutelynecessary to do so inasmuch as the said piece could be mounted in such amanner as to engage the plate and the guard to efiect an elevation ofthe latter, without being connected thereto.

In practice my improved spoon is handled in the ordinary manner, that isto say, the bowl is slightly canted or inclined toward the user and inthis position is introduced into the soup. When the spoon is so dippedin the soup, it will be readily perceived that the piece 0, will engagethe bottom of the plate and will raise and hold the guard clear of thesoup until the bowl is removed from the soup when the guard will resumeits normal position in order to cover the bowl when the spoon is raisedto the lips.

By reason of my improvements, a person, no matter how absent minded orcareless, is enabled to eat soup and similar dishes in a clean manner,inasmuch as the guard B, is always clean and free from soup and servesefiectually to prevent the mustache from getting into the soup when inthe spoon.

The manner herein disclosed of connecting the guard with the spoon isadvantageous inasmuch, as after use, the resilient branches 0, may bereadily spread apart to remove their heads (I, from the seats in thehandle, and the guard may consequently be removed from the spoon inorder to facilitate cleansing of both spoon and guard. A

My improvements do not increase the weight of a soup spoon to anyappreciable extent; they do not interfere in any manner with thecleaning of the spoon, and they may be chased or engraved in anornamental manner when desired so as to enhance rather than detract fromthe beauty of the spoon.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A spoon having a guardflexibly connected above the bowl and carrying a pendant adapted toraise the guard from the bowl, substantially as specified.

2. In a spoon, the combination with a bowl and a handle connected to thebowl; of a guard arranged upon the bowl and having resilient branches atone end provided with globular heads journaled in hearings in oppositesides of the handle, substantially as specified.

3. In a spoon, the combination with a bowl and a handle connected to thebowl and having bearing recesses in two of its opposite sides; of aguard having resilient branches 0, at one of its ends provided withglobular heads adapted to engage the bearing recesses of the handle, anda depending plate-engaging piece 0, fixedly connected to and dependingfrom the guard and having a knob or button at its lower end,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, CARL A. QUENTELL.

WVitnesses:

THOMAS E. TURPIN, K. F. MATTHEWS.

